Devices and methods for collecting daylight in clear and cloudy weather conditions
First Claim
1. A passive light-collecting device for directing sunlight into a building interior, the device comprising:
- a top cover portion;
a base aperture having a width and configured to be disposed adjacent to an opening of a building;
a prismatic element comprising a prismatic surface and a surface opposite the prismatic surface, wherein the prismatic element is configured to turn sunlight incident on the top cover portion towards the base aperture, and wherein the surface of the prismatic element opposite the prismatic surface is parallel to the top cover portion;
a substantially vertical portion having a height that extends between the top cover portion and the base aperture and is configured to receive sunlight; and
a reflector associated with the vertical portion configured to reflect at least a portion of received sunlight towards the base aperture.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Lighting devices and methods for providing daylight to the interior of a structure are disclosed. Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a daylighting device including a tube having a sidewall with a reflective interior surface, a light collecting structure, and a light reflector positioned to reflect daylight into the light collector. In some embodiments, the light collector is associated with one or more light-turning and/or light reflecting structures configured to increase the amount of light captured by the daylighting device. Optical elements may allow for the absorption and/or selective transmission of infrared light away from an interior of the daylighting device.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A passive light-collecting device for directing sunlight into a building interior, the device comprising:
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a top cover portion; a base aperture having a width and configured to be disposed adjacent to an opening of a building; a prismatic element comprising a prismatic surface and a surface opposite the prismatic surface, wherein the prismatic element is configured to turn sunlight incident on the top cover portion towards the base aperture, and wherein the surface of the prismatic element opposite the prismatic surface is parallel to the top cover portion; a substantially vertical portion having a height that extends between the top cover portion and the base aperture and is configured to receive sunlight; and a reflector associated with the vertical portion configured to reflect at least a portion of received sunlight towards the base aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A passive light-collecting device for directing sunlight into a building interior, the device comprising:
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a base aperture having a width and configured to be disposed adjacent to an opening of a building; a top cover portion comprising a prismatic element, wherein the prismatic element is configured to turn sunlight incident on the top cover portion towards the base aperture; a substantially vertical portion having a height that extends between the top cover portion and the base aperture and is configured to receive sunlight; and a reflector associated with the vertical portion configured to reflect at least a portion of received sunlight towards the base aperture.
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5. An at least partially transparent light-collecting device configured to direct daylight through a collector base aperture and into an interior of a building when the light-collecting device is installed on a roof of the building, the device comprising:
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a top cover portion; a sidewall portion configured to support the top cover portion above an upper end of the sidewall portion and to define a collector base aperture at a lower end of the sidewall portion, wherein the sidewall portion has a height that extends between the top cover portion and the collector base aperture, and wherein the height of the sidewall portion is greater than a width of the collector base aperture, wherein at least a portion of daylight transmitted through the sidewall portion is received in the collector base aperture; and an optical element having one or more reflective interior surfaces configured to receive a portion of daylight propagating through the collector base aperture and to turn the portion of daylight such that an exit angle of the portion of daylight is closer to vertical than an entrance angle of the portion of daylight. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of illuminating an interior of a building, the method comprising:
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receiving daylight on a sidewall portion of a light collecting device, wherein the sidewall portion has a height that extends between a top cover portion of the light collecting device and a collector base aperture, and wherein the height of the sidewall portion is greater than a width of the collector base aperture; and turning a portion of the daylight, using an optical element, such that an exit angle of the portion of daylight is closer to vertical than an entrance angle of the daylight. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification